The Best of the Best Army Warriors 2017 NCO and Soldier of the Year

News Society of National Association Publications - Award Winning Newspaper . Published by the Association of the U.S. Army VVOLUMEOLUME 4411 NNUMBERUMBER 1 wwww.ausa.orgww.ausa.org NNovemberovember 22017017 Inside the News View from the Hill Appropriations Groundhog Day – 6 – Capitol Focus Defense Policy Bill – 10 – Annual Meeting & Exposition Sinise Awarded Marshall Medal – 2 – Mattis Addresses Budget Caps – 2 – Milley on Readiness and the Fight – 3 – Ham Praises Volunteer Leaders – 6 – Barber, Gray Win Battle Challenge – 11 – TThehe BBestest ooff tthehe BBestest AArmyrmy WWarriorsarriors Army Families & Readiness – 14 – Reserve Soldiers Balance 22017017 NCONCO andand SSoldieroldier ooff tthehe YYearear – 16 – 3 NCOs Receive Awards Spc. Hazen Ham, soldier of the year, left, and Staff Sgt. Ryan McCarthy, noncommissioned offi cer of – – 18 the year, winners of the 2017 Best Warrior Competition, were announced by Sgt. Maj. of the Army Soldiers Win Army Ten-Miler Daniel Dailey during the Sergeant Major of the Army’s Awards Luncheon held in conjunction with – 22 – the AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition. (AUSA News photo) Guard, Reserve Units Honored See stories on Pages 7 and 8 – 23 – 2 AUSA NEWS November 2017 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Gary Sinise: ‘For as long as I’m able, I stand with you’ AUSA Staff ary Sinise, recipient of the Association of the U.S. Army’s highest award for service Gto the nation, pledged that his work on be- half of service members, veterans, fi rst responders and military families isn’t going to come to an end anytime soon. “For as long as I’m able, I stand with you,” Si- nise said as he accepted the 2017 George Catlett Marshall Medal, AUSA’s award for distinguished, extraordinary and selfl ess service to the United States. “We can strive to do a little more each day so you will know we will always have your back,” he said. Adding, “I am so humbled to be here and deeply Gary Sinise, accepting AUSA’s George Catlett Medal, said, ‘I am so humbled to be here and deeply moved to receive this honor. … I know where my moved to receive this this honor. … I know where my freedom comes from, and I will not forget our freedom comes from, and I will not forget our de- defenders.’ (AUSA News photo) fenders,” he said. An actor, director, producer, musician and hu- Sinise said he was very close to many of his rela- He has a nephew currently serving as an Army manitarian, Sinise never served in the military but tives who had served in the military, many of them recruiter. many members of his family served, dating back to in the Army, and that after the 2001 terrorist attacks The Marshall Dinner at the Walter E. Washing- World War I. he had decided to dedicate himself to making cer- ton Convention Center in Washington, D.C., was One of his most famous acting roles was as a tain people who put themselves in harm’s way came the fi nal event of the three-day AUSA Annual Meet- Vietnam veteran, Lt. Dan Taylor, in the movie For- home getting the respect and attention that Vietnam ing and Exposition, which was attended by about rest Gump. veterans never did. 30,000 people. Mattis: Budget caps, confusion affect our competitive edge Otto Kreisher The secretary repeatedly stressed the need for lieves we can afford survival. I want the Congress AUSA News readiness, which is this year’s theme for the AUSA back in the driver’s seat of budget decisions, not in professional development forum. the spectator’s seat.” efense Secretary Jim Mattis said the inter- He said, “Everything we do must contribute to He said he has great confi dence in the Con- national situation today “is the most com- the increased lethality of our military. We must nev- gress,” but no confi dence in automatic budget re- Dplex and demanding” he has seen in his er lose sight of the fact that we have no God-given straints, a reference to the 2011 Budget Control four decades of service, and he needs the Army to right to victory on the battlefi eld.” Act that sets arbitrary limits on spending. be “at the top of your game, in body, spirit. But he expressed his concern that “our competi- Mattis gave a salute to veterans in the audience We must be so ready … that everybody in the tive edge over our potential adversaries” is eroding who served in Vietnam, then stayed in uniform and world will want to deal with [Secretary of State “due to budgetary confusion and budget caps,” and built the great Army of today and made him the Rex] Tillerson’s Department of State, not the De- said he is “among the majority in this nation that be- marine he was. partment of Defense, your warfi ghting skills” and for every day they are in uniform “to be dedicated to getting better,” he said. In the keynote address at the 2017 Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exposition at the Walter E. Washington Convention Cen- ter, Washington, D.C., Mattis cited the persistent threat of terrorists in the Middle East, Russian ag- gression in Europe and North Korea’s provoca- tions in the Pacifi c. At a question and answer period following his address to an audience of more than 3,000 AUSA members and guests, he was asked what the Army could do about threats from North Korea. Replying, Mattis said, “It is a diplomatically- led, economic-sanctions buttressed effort to get North Korea off this path.” But because no one knows what the future may bring, “One thing the U.S Army can do, and that is you’ve got to be ready so we can have military Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis shakes hands with retired Gen. Carter F. Ham, AUSA president options that our president can employ if needed.” and CEO, after giving the keynote address at the AUSA Annual Meeting. (AUSA News photo) ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY November 2017 AUSA NEWS 3 If Army neglects readiness – We will lose the next war Gen. Mark Milley, Army chief of staff, gives his ‘State of the Army’ address during the AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition. (AUSA News photo) Susan Katz Keating East, or continue to evolve via “the long reach of AUSA News terrorism.” The Army chief could not say which threat would ‘Why we fi ght’ e will pray for peace every day, but nor could trigger fi rst, if at all. “I’m not in the busi- AUSA Staff at the same time, the U.S. Army ness of predictions,” Milley said. “Wwill prepare for war,” said Army “I’m in the business of readiness.” That, Milley rmy Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley said, is the Army’s No. 1 task. As such, he said, the Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley. concluded a major speech at the Asso- Army is immersed in maintaining readiness. Adding, “No one wants war,” but the Army must ciation of the U.S. Army Annual Meet- maintain a laser focus on readiness. Among other things, the service is pre-position- A ing and Exposition with what he called “a little Milley delivered his remarks at the well-attended ing stocks and equipment. It also is in the process of commentary on why we fi ght.” Dwight D. Eisenhower Luncheon held at the 2017 standing up a new command aimed at streamlining Speaking at the Dwight David Eisenhower Annual Meeting and Exposition of the Association the modernization process, Milley said, reiterating Luncheon where he and other chiefs have made of the U.S. Army. a plan he announced at the AUSA meeting in con- In the speech, an impassioned Milley outlined junction with Acting Secretary of the Army Ryan major policy announcements about their visions his views on the Army’s role in a rapidly changing D. McCarthy. for the Army’s future, he said the U.S. was formed world. The Army wants new, lethal equipment and on a “very powerful idea … that here in America “The world is becoming more complex and dan- weapons. Weapons alone are not the answer, though. we will have a government of the people, by the gerous,” Milley said, adding that in order to under- “It won’t matter if you’re dead,” he said. As such, people and for the people.” stand the shifting dynamics, “all you have to do is force protection is key. So, too, is training. Training Milley said, “It says that all of the people, re- pick up a newspaper.” must be rigorous, hard and constant, he said, and gardless if you are male or female. As such, “Combat readiness is our No. 1 priori- will include being set in dense urban combat envi- “It doesn’t matter if you are gay or straight or ty,” Milley said. “The need has become more appar- ronments. anything in between. It doesn’t matter if you are ent.” And the need may be accelerating.The most During his stirring address, Milley acknowl- black or white or Asian or Indian or any other eth- dangerous near-term threat, Milley said, is North edged the importance of others. nic group. Korea. Valued foreign partners provide much value to “It doesn’t matter what the country of your ori- “If history has taught us anything,” Milley said, national and international security, Milley said. So, gin is or the spelling of your last name. It does not it’s that we must not ignore threatening words when too, do the American people.

Load more